Sunday, 25 September 2016

Have you ever wondered how people learn about all the wonderful creatures and creepy crawlies in Yorkshire?Have you heard of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, Yorkshire's prestigious society for both naturalists and natural history societies - that is now 155 years old?Have you ever thought -"Is there anything of wildlife interest in my local churchyard?"No?Well read on.Each year, at the beginning of the Leeds University MSc Ecology Course, a day at St Chad's (Far Headingly, Leeds) is arranged with members of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union and the new students. The YNU "experts" get their transport paid, and the chance to inspire the "next generation". The students have opportunity to meet people with expertise on groups of animals and plants ... and learn a little about a new subject. Such people are now becoming as rare as some of the plants and animals they study.The YNU started 155 years ago. (We celebrated out 150th anniversary in 2011)It is an umbrella organsation for 45 natural history societies in Yorkshire and nearby. It also has individual members who are enthusiasts in various fields of natural history.This year Albert Henderson and Chris Young were not running a lichens workshop - so I had opportunity to run the workshop.You learn by teaching. :)I just hope my four students will go away and try teaching other people a couple of the lichens that they learned to identify..

So,I went to St Chad's Church, Far Headingly the week before to meet Suzanne Dalton who is involved with St Chad's Green Team. She showed me round the churchyard and gave me copies of the excellent Nature Trail Leaflet and the Geology Leaflet.

I was able to see how the churchyard is managed for wildlife. The church was dedicated in 1868. It was built on farmland before herbicides and pesticides and intensive fertilizers were used, so there are some remnants of wildflowers and grasses such as Good Friday Grass and Sweet Vernal-grass. There is an area of grassland where the Pink Waxcap (or Ballerina) fungus grows (This was formerly a red data species).She also gave me a list of lichens that the YNU had recorded in 2003.. specifically Chris Hitchin and albert Henderson 22-23 September..Leeds at the beginning of the last century had very bad sulphur dioxide air pollution and soot. Leeds still has air pollution due to car fumes etc. The lichen flora is very restricted. "But this will make it easier for teaching complete beginners." I told myself.I was delighted that day too to go and visit Albert Henderson who gave me tips about running the course. He suggested going to Golden Acre Park. I asked "Does Xanthoria polycarpa grow in the churchyard?" (This is sometimes known as Cushion Xanthoria and is a tiny golden lichen that grows well where there is Nitrogen oxide pollution. This is pictured on the charts that people use for the lichen nitrogen oxide air pollution survey organised by OPAL) I have failed to find it myself near Settle. . He was surprised I had not seen it at Settle. "It grows in forks of twigs" he said. I was adamant. "It's not there," I said.I visited Golden Acre Park (X84 bus) and saw the Xanthoria parietiena (Common Orange Lichen, or "Leafy Xanthoria) on the birch trees, and the cafe, and lake, but in the given (very short time) no X polycarpa.

Xanthoria polycarpa - Cushion Xanthoria - see how tiny it is compared to my fingernail.

I returned to Headingly and went for a walk into the south end of Meanwood Park where I found a lime tree with Xanthoria polycarpa on it. Hurray.I looked at the churchyard again and caught a Number 1 bus back to the railway station.

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So the day of 21st arrived.I came with Sharon and Pete who were to run the freshwater biology workshop.Rupert Quinnell of Leeds University welcomed us and the students.

"Welcome"

Andy Millard told us about the history of the YNU. He showed people the St Chad's Churchyard leaflets.

I took my four students to the Ash tree at the entrance to St Chad's Parish Centre to introduce them to a few big colourful lichens. Previously I had recorded six different species of lichen on this trunk (compared to most trees that have none).

By the end of the day I had recorded 10 species on this trunk!!! It show the importance of looking very carefully, with handlenses.This tree had someXanthoria parietiena (Common Orange lichen) (a foliose lichen), some Lepraria incana (a powder lichen). One girl noticed some Ramalina farinosa (Cartilage lichen or Strap lichen) - which is a fruticose lichen - and an indicator that the air is now not totally polluted. We found a twig on the ground with a crustose lichen on it - Lecanora chlarotera - with pale fawn-pink "jam tarts"-like reproductive bodies. Physcia tenella is present, as may be Physcia adscendens

Snails

We returned to the parish centre. Other groups were beavering away: Snails, Spiders, Fungi, Flowers; Plant Galls, Insects

In time it got quieter as other groups departed to look for specimens outside. I gave a formal introduction to lichens.I showed them three crustose lichens on rocks I had brought in from near Settle, including the bright orange Caloplaca flavescens; and some lovely "Old Man's Beard Lichen (Usnea) from ScotlandThen we went to a table where Clare and Mark from the North & East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre gave us a talk on recording systems and centres.

This is actually the "Flowers" group learning about DataBases

We had a look at the NBN gateway too - I asked to see the distribution of Xanthoria polycarpa - and indeed it had NOT been recorded close to Settle.

It must be about ten years since I attended a YNU conference when we leaned about NEYEDC and Data bases.

It was a then rapidly developing subject, and a standard system had not quite stabilised.

Guess what.

It is still a rapidly developing subject and a standard system has not quite stabilised..

"Sometimes projects get funding and they use the funding to develop an "App" for collecting online data for their project. But thought has not always been given to what happens to the data after their project has finished.." Mark said.

Any idea of going to Golden Acre Park was scrapped as we finally got outside -- into the churchyard and -- sat down for lunch.

It was great to have a whole day to look at things carefully.

Porpidia tuberculosa - (sometimes called cigarette ash lichen) on acid rock. See St Chad's spire in the distance - and see how blackened the spire is by soot)

On lime-rich tombstones we found other species, some whose reproductive bodies are found in tiny holes dissolved the rock.

The Geology rail alerted us to ripple marks on the huge slab of Elland Sandstone at the entrance to the church: to special marks left by stone-masons on the outside of the lady-chapel (recycled old stone from much older buildings was used when this extension was built in 1911); to the tall Portland Stone obelisk. Portland Stone comes from the Isle of Portland in Dorset. The same rock is used for Leeds Civic Hall and the University clock tower. The leaflet says "It was a popular building stone in cities because unlike sandstone for example, the solution effect meant that it remained fairly clean.". Some curved fossil oyster shells are protruding 2 to 3mm from the surface - showing that this much limestone has dissolved.We met other groups. Bill Ely showed us galls on beech leaves - the Beech Leaf Miner Phyllonorycter messaniella and the Hairy Beech Gall caused by Hartigola annulipesWe went back to the original Ash tree. I noticed a minute yellow lichen.I had thought it might be a Candelariella .Later, after the students had gone, I had time to test it with KOH.It went red. So not Candelariella (which does not react with KOH). It must be another species of Xanthoria.

See it - a teeny weeny foliose lichen growing amongst the grey Physcia. See my finger nail for scaleIt is the Xanthoria candelaria group ( either X candelaria or X ucrainica). (Both grow in Nitrogen Oxide polluted areas).the 2003 YNU list had 44 lichens. We had found 20.So our group had found 20 lichens, 2 algae, a Rove-beetle, a Harlequin Ladybird larva, some Bootlace (or Honey) Fungus and two Beech Galls. Not bad!!

Holding Dobson's book for identifying lichens

To find out more about Yorkshire Naturalist Union Events visit ynu.org.uk

We will give examples of this,, first in Ingleton Parish churchyard, then in Settle Parish churchyard.This pale grey - grey-green crustose lichens grows on acid rocks, such as "slate" tombstones, It also grows on the greywacke (a type of metamorphosed sandstone) which form many glacial eratics in our areaThe thallus is divided into areoles. The areoles have soralia (minute patches with powdery soredia). - which are a lighter green than the rest of the areole. - See glossaries for definitions of these Glossary - Last DragonGlossary - Irish LichensThe first time I was shown this (thanks AP) on acid tombstone in Ingleton, a big effort was made to see whether the soralia (the minute powdery patches which house the powdery soredia) were at the centre of the aereoles or a the edge. L soralifera has them at the centre.

St Mary's Ingleton

Different year - same tombstone - St Mary's Ingleton

Settle.

Go to this big block tombstone then look at the upright one just to the left of it

Look at the lichen on the top surface. There is some bluey grey (Porpidia tuberculosa) and some green grey - the Lecanora soralifera

Thallus a thin to granular, powdery, yellow-green to sulphur yellow crust, in places thicker and irregularly cracked; apothecia rare, very small, yellow-green to orange. Common throughout Britain, often in somewhat shaded situations, generally on base-poor rock,

Go to Settle Parish Church churchyard, to this big box tombstone marked by the red arrow. Then go to the gravestone to the left of it

There is a little bit of bright lemon green Psilolechia in a groove (top right) on the tombstone to the left -See below

Porpidia tuberculosa can form big grey (white-to pale blue grey) patches on acid rocks in church yards. Looking closely with a hand lens there are dark blue-grey almost silvery soredia. The edge of the thallus (the prothallus) is dark.Here is is in Settle churchyard.I spent hours going back to this tombstone hoping to photograph it in the sunlight.. but the trees to the south shaded it until the sun finally set behind the railway viaduct.I'm calling this the "Big block grave". It has lots of Porpidai tuberculosa on its roof. The tombstone 3 along to the left has Porpidia tuberculosa too too.

Look at the top rim of the gravestone one to the left of the big block grave:

Here is the top rim of this gravestone

The lichen with the arrow is Lecanora soralifera. The one below it, next to the finger is Porpidia tuberculosa.

Here is a video of this tombstone (the one to left of the large block tombstone as at the top of this post)

Here it is in Ingleton, St Mary's Church Round the back of the church is a big colony on the church wall

Porpidia tuberculosa. - a very big patch. - below same species close up.

Porpidia tuberculosa can form big grey (white-to pale blue grey) patches on acid rocks in church yards. Looking closely with a hand lens there are dark blue-grey almost silvery soredia. The edge of the thallus (the prothallus) is dark.Here is is in Settle churchyard.I spent hours going back to this tombstone hoping to photograph it in the sunlight.. but the trees to the south shaded it until the sun finally set behind the railway viaduct.The tombstone 3 (actually 4) along to the left has Porpidia tuberculosa too too.

Here it is in Ingleton, St Mary's Church Round the back of the church is a big colony on the church wall

Could this be Porpidia tuberculosa? seems a very big patch. - below same species close up.

Porpidia tuberculosa can form big grey (white-to pale blue grey) patches on acid rocks in church yards. Looking closely with a hand lens there are dark blue-grey almost silvery soredia. The edge of the thallus (the prothallus) is dark.Here is is in Settle churchyard.I spent hours going back to this tombstone hoping to photograph it in the sunlight.. but the trees to the south shaded it until the sun finally set behind the railway viaduct.The tombstone 3 (actually 4) along to the left has Porpidia tuberculosa too too.

Here it is in Ingleton, St Mary's Church Round the back of the church is a big colony on the church wall

Could this be Porpidia tuberculosa? seems a very big patch. - below same species close up.

Aug-Sep 2018: £40 - Thanks to sale of £30 worth of cards form 3 Langcliffe people (total for 2018=£170)

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June-July 2018: £30 - Thanks to sale of cards at Wholesome Bee and Boxer and Hound (total for 2018=£130)

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April-May 2018: £70 including £30 from donation by Settle spinners, £23.50 from sale of cards to Ripon Group visitng St John's and sale of cards to others (total for 2018: £100

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Jan-March 2018:£30

(Total for 2018: £30.00)

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December: £235 made up of £191 at Coffee morning - £127 for Coffee and cakes, £64 for cards; plus £10.50 from Cards sold at Settle Spinners and £20 from one person buying cards and £23.50 from other cards - Total for 2017: £557:

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Sep-Nov 2017: £32.50 including £19.50 from Green Christian JIE Conference and £13 from Cards at Growing with Grace (Total-£312)

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June - Aug 2017: £72.50 including £68 from the talk on "Wildflower Walks around Settle" (Total for 2017: £279.50)

In Dec 2012 - so far - £137 :£65 from Rainforest Coffee morning at church. The following is all from cards: £25.5 from sale of cards at coffee morning, and £25 from cards near coffee morning; : £8 at Langcliffe Inst, £13 Growing with grace £10-50 Wholesome Bee, (Total for 2012 = £712)

In June 2012: £40 : from sale of cards:£18 from people from Scargill House on my wildflowers walk and £16 from Age UK people at haymeadow talk (Total for 2012 = £370)

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In May 2012: £74 : including from cards (£14 from sale of cards at Taitlands Tea room at Stainforth; £15 from CCG meeting at Lower Winskill; £20 from Flowers course at Malham Tarn Field Centre; £17 (Total for 2012 = £330)

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In April 2012: £26: from cards (£15 from A Rocha group at Scargill House (Total for 2012 = £256)

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In March 2012: £130: from cards including £75 from Christian Ecology Link Conference at Bristol and £35 donation from Settle Spinners and £20 from Cards in the foyer at St John's (Total for 2012 = £230)

In Dec 2011: £240 including £90from cards including £32.50 from Langcliffe Inst Christmas Sale, £11-00 at WI pantomine, £20 from people at Settle Christmas Day Lunch and £150 donation (Total for 2011 = £1,000)

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In Nov 2011: £50: From cards including £19.50 from Scottish Dancing (Total for 2011 = £760)

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In Oct 2011: £110: From cards including £45 from Worsley Church and £50 from Settle Mothers Union (Total for 2011 = £710)

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In Sept 2011: £30: From cards (Total for 2011 = £600)

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In August 2011: £20: From cards (Total for 2011 = £570)_________________________

In July 2011: £50: From £36 donation form Settle Spinners, (£6-00 cards from Settle Spinners and £8.00 cards from others (Total for 2011 = £550)_________________________

In June 2011: £85: From the profit from the Saltaire Ladies group who came for salad tea at the church hall - £29 plus the cards they bought - £16.50; The Flowers course at Malham Tarn bought £26 of cards. (Total for 2011 = £500)_________________________In April- May 2011: £55 - From My saving buying food on "Live for a £1-00 a day week": £10; Rest from cards including 1 person at Scottish dancing £15 and people at Plantlife day: £16.50 (Total for 2011 = £415)_________________________

In March 2011: £145 - Mostly from sale of cards including:- £50 from CEL conference, £25 from Horton History Society, £26 from WYSOCS; Also a £20 donation (Total for 2011 = £360)_________________________

In Feb 2011: £65 - all from sale of cards including:- £26 from Austwick Field Society and £25 from Settle Gardening Club (Total for 2011 = £215)_________________________

Starting again..in 2011: £150 in by 31 January 2011 including £109 from the Barn Dance and £26 from cards_________________________

£2600 (£600 in 2010) by Dec 31 2010 - Mostly from Greeting cards, but also £32.21 from Settle Spinners and some from a donation._________________________

£2420 (£420 in 2010) by Sept 20 2010 - From the St John's Coffee Morning in August (£106) . Also from the sale of Greetings Cards, including £28 worth from people on courses at Malham Tarn Field Centre - Acrylics, Grasses, Settle Carlisle Line and Staff)_________________________

£2250 (£250 in 2010) by June 30 2010 - Mostly from the sale of Greetings Cards, including £20 worth from people at "Folk at the Falcon" and £30 from one lady who came to the NISCU evening, and £20 donation from people who came on the Environment Sunday Walk._________________________

£2125 (£125 in 2010) by March 31 2010 - including £100 from sale of Greetings Cards and Calendars and another £25 from collection by Settle Spinning Club

_________________________Nov - December 31st 2009 - including sale of Christmas Cards and Calendars

(Total for 2009 = £567 )_________________________Sep-October 2009 - £60-00:- £52 donations at Day of Prayer on 4 Oct. £8-00 from energy meter and sale of cards

(Total for 2009 = £450)_________________________May-August 2009: £68 - £40 from cards from Choir from Dewsbury, £8-00 from profit on sale of tweezers and lenses, £10- from part of Burton in Lonsdale Ceilidh money, £8-00 sale of cards

(Total for 2009 = £47) _________________________£1433 by December 29th 2008 - including £70 from Settle WI£14 from selling Speaking Tips Booklets£70 from selling home-made Christmas cards_________________________£1279 by November 29th 2008- including £25 from a Langcliffe Singer Lady who is giving it to World Land Trust to a relation as a Christmas Present; £35 from Langcliffe Singers; and donations from a couple for receiving computing tuition_________________________£1172 by October 29th- 2008 including £50 made up from donations from 6 people who borrowed the Owl monitor, and an individual donation for £50 - Thanks._________________________£1050 by September 29th 2008 includingover £100 from the "Addingham Friendly Hour" minibus trip where we made them tea)_________________________£920 by July 29th -2008- includinga donation of £4 by a person borrowing an OWL meter - (for monitoring electricity usage)_________________________£883 by June 20th 2008- includinga donation of £100 for Cool Earth by Settle Line Dance Class at the Church Hall and £10 as the first donation online for Cool Earth, and two other donations._________________________£752 by May 20th 2008 includinga donation of £100 for World Land Trust by a family who donated half an acre of land (£25) for each of their four nephews and nieces, who received certificates._________________________£652 by April 19th 2008- includinga donation of £65 from the group who came for coffee_________________________£587 by April 14th 2008- including£160 for A Rocha Ghana£312 for World Land Trust (including £25 online donation and £30 from Scottish Country Dancing at the Hall£115 for Cool Earth_________________________£467 by April 5th 2008- including£110 for A Rocha Ghana£292 for World Land Trust (including £25 online donation and £30 from Scottish Country Dancing at the Hall£65 for Cool Earth_________________________

£392 by March 9th 2008- including£90 for A Rocha Ghana£237 for World Land Trust£65 for Cool Earth_________________________

£295 by February 9th 2008£80 for A Rocha Ghana and£215 for World Land Trust (which will buy 4 acres of forest.)